


baby on board

by stargangs



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Asgard, Canon Divergence - No Hydra Takeover of SHIELD, Darcy Lewis is Tony Stark's Daughter, Developing Relationship, Discussion of Abortion, F/M, Italian Tony Stark, Jane Foster & Darcy Lewis Friendship, Kid Fic, Misunderstandings, Parent Tony Stark, Pregnancy, Protective Thor (Marvel), Tony Stark Has A Heart, triple agent brock rumlow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:35:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28220253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stargangs/pseuds/stargangs
Summary: "You're having a baby?""Uh, correction, we're having a baby."Brock Rumlow faints.Darcy Lewis sighs.Jane Foster cackles.
Relationships: Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow, Jane Foster/Thor, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 103
Kudos: 349





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Baby On Board, my self-proclaimed comfort fic to carry us into a very scary and uncertain New Year. Stick around, grab a hot chocolate and cosy blanket and get ready for a self-indulgent comfort piece. Enjoy, stay safe, and remember to leave feedback (in other words, pls feed the praise starved writer).

"Your pee looks like lemon-lime Gatorade." Jane frowns. "Mine does too. When was the last time we had a ' _no coffee, only water_ ' cleanse? I think it's been a few months." 

"Yeah, a few months." Darcy looks away from the two pee-cups and narrows her eyes at her doe-eyed science child, who's actually five years her senior. Eh, semantics. 

"Why're you looking at me like that?" Jane leans back, affronted. "'No coffee, only water' was your idea." 

"Yes, it was. And it was a good idea." She asserts, puffing out her chest. "It wasn't my fault I slighted your dependence." 

Jane scoffs. "My dependence?"

"Janey, after twelve hours without caffeine you punched a Shield Agent in the face for calling your handwriting swirly. We both got sent to Principle Coulson's office for a diplomatic spanking. Remember that?" 

Jane reddens. "Oh yeah."

"Don't get me wrong, I was all for you decking one of those jack-booted-thugs in the face, but you shouldn't have done it right in front of Steve." She sighs. "He did his disappointed face. You know, the one where his eyes go all big and he frowns and does that cute little 'hmph' noise?" 

Jane nods solemnly in agreement and picks up her phone to check the timer. "We've still got a minute to go." 

"Is this weird?" Darcy makes a face. "Or is this something all besties do together on a Friday night?" 

"Don't know." Jane shrugs distractedly, scrolling through she and Thor's text chain. He's off-world and she's been pouting for the past week. "Maybe not. Probably not. I've never seen anyone do it in the movies." 

"Me too." She leans forward to closer inspect the pee cups sitting on the bathroom counter, making a point not to look at the white sticks standing up in them. "Oh, we really need to start drinking more water. That cannot be healthy." 

"Probably not. I'll order us those bottles on Amazon. The one's that have the times of the day on them to remind you to drink it all before the day's over. I like those." 

"Maybe I should ask Tony to make us ones with Jarvis installed in them. You know, so he can scold us if we get behind. That'd be cool." Darcy fumbles to get her phone out of the deep pocket in the front of her oversized grey sweatpants. "Why hasn't he done that yet? There's got to be a market for those, right?" 

She's halfway through rapidly typing out the product proposal via text when the timer on Jane's phone rings out. The two women halt their movements, putting down their phones looking at each other in sync. They remain perched on the edge of the bathtub. 

"You go first," Jane instructs, squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm too nervous. I think I might be sick. Oh my god, no. No, I'm not going to be sick. Because I'm not pregnant." 

"Okay," Darcy says. They've done this every other week since Jane started boning Thor and she started on-off dating Ian and also occasionally sleeping with one of the jack-booted-thugs who called her hair pretty one time. She picks the stick up out of her cup. One line. Phew. "I'm not preggers! Sambuca shots on me!" 

"You projectile vomited the last time you did a sambuca shot," Jane stands up and takes a steadying breath. "Okay, I'm calm. This is fine." 

"Sure." Darcy smiles encouragingly. 

The willowy scientist stares at her stick. And stares. And stares. 

Darcy's stomach drops. She takes a step forward and tentatively puts her hand on Jane's shoulder. "Janey?" 

"No sambuca shots," Jane whispers. "No shots at all." 

"Oh no." Darcy exhales slowly. "Oh no. Janey." 

"Okay," Jane mutters. "Okay. Okay. Okay. This is.. okay. This is fine. Everything is fine." 

Darcy leans over to glance at the stick and winces. Jane had designed these tests herself after Darcy got a false positive from a Clear Blue in London a few years ago. They were, to put it mildly, incredibly accurate. "Uh. Should I look into sending a raven to Thor?" 

"Thor." Jane goes from shaken to seething in seconds. "Oh my god, I'm gonna kill him. Darcy, I swear to Frigga, I'm sending that man to Valhalla. How could he do this to me?" She fumes, tossing the stick into the sink. "Ugh!" 

"It takes two to tango, Janey." She recoils when Jane pins her with a terrifying scowl. "I mean- how could he? Ugh, fertility gods! Am I right or am I right?" She chuckles nervously, feeling slightly like she's being held at gunpoint. "Ha." 

Jane deflates, sinking into a heap of limbs on the bathroom floor. Darcy follows suit, letting her ex-boss and current bestie for life curl into her. "I'm not ready to be a mom, Darce."

Darcy rests her head on top of Jane's. "Is anyone ever really ready, though?" 

"I don't know," Jane mumbles. "I've never done any research into reproduction." 

Darcy blinks in surprise. Jane's like a factoid machine. There's rarely ever a subject she hasn't dedicated at-least ten hours to researching. "Oh." 

"Yeah," Jane says. "I didn't think I'd ever be a mom." 

"Do you and Thor use protection?" She asks, trying not to cringe at the image of her pseudo siblings boning. "Do Asgardian's have their own brand of condom made specifically for Norse Gods?" 

Jane sniffles and rubs her cheek on Darcy's sweater. "Yeah, something like that. Frigga gave them to me when I visited last year. Whenever we- uh- run out, she sends me more by a raven." 

"Your mother-in-law sends you magical condoms? Awesome. I love Frigga."

"Not my mother-in-law," Jane grumbles. 

"Uh, she kinda is." Darcy hints. "Thor gave you one of those apples, remember? Apparently they're _way_ more sacred than a ring on Asgard." 

"She's not my mother-in-law until Thor funds a big, fancy wedding and I get to wear my mom's dress and you get to be my maid-of-honour." Jane declares resolutely. "And that apple tasted like candy. It was weird." 

Darcy makes a face at the memory. Jane had snuck her a small piece of the fruit to see if she was crazy or if the apple really did taste like bonbons. After being promised that eating it would not mean that was technically married to Thor too, because ew, she'd eaten it. "Yeah. It was definitely weird." 

"Ugh." Jane huffs out a breath after a stretch of silence. "I guess we should contact the big idiot. Is this serious enough for Heimdall or should I just send a raven?" 

"That's your decision," Darcy says. 

"Yeah." Jane tips her head up to stare at the ceiling. "Oh my god, can you even imagine Thor with a baby?" 

Darcy thinks back to the time she and Thor visited the children's hospice when Jane was too busy with a deadline to keep him company on one of his days off. He handled the babies with care and made the toddlers roar with laughter. 

The memory solidifies what she already knows. Jane knows it too. She's just not ready to admit it. 

"He's really good with kids, Jane," Darcy says gently. 

"Sure." She says, defeated. "But what if he wants to name it Helga or Thud or Gertrud or Ogechi? I can't put a poor kid through that. They'd get bullied for sure." 

"Janey-" 

"I don't even know how Asgardian-Midguardian pregnancies work! Have they ever done any research on that? Huh? Because I doubt it! They don't exactly try to hide the fact that they don't like us." Jane rants, face gradually getting redder and redder. 

Darcy yields. "Odin did call you a goat when he met you." 

"Yeah, he did." Jane glares at the tiled floor. "And he called you a turnip." 

"Ha!" Darcy snorts at the memory. "He's the epitome of a grumpy old man. Bless Frigga for putting up with him for so long."

"He'll be a shitty grandpa." Jane whines. "I don't want a kid to have to deal with him as a grandpa."

"Okay, but imagine Frigga as a grandmother." Darcy almost cooes. "Wait, does Loki have kids?" 

Jane shakes her head once. "He just has a lot of pets. The fables got the story twisted. He loves them very much."

"Cool." Darcy nods slowly. "So you'll be giving birth to the first grandchild. Wow." 

"Yeah. Wow." Jane drones monotonously. They sit in silence for a little while, stewing. And then, "Darcy, I'm not sure I want to be a mom." 

"Oh- Oh! Okay, that's totally cool." She hesitates. "But um, maybe you should talk to Thor before you make any, you know, arrangements." 

"My body." Jane sniffs. "My decision." 

"Yes! Yes, I agree with you one-hundred-per cent!" Darcy bounces her head wildly. She's totally pro-choice and she'll always be pro-whatever-Jane-wants. That goes without saying. But they still need to be sensible. "You said it yourself though, Janey. We don't know how Asgardian pregnancies compare. They might not work the same way." 

"Oh no," Jane whispers, suddenly dismayed. "What if I can't abort it? I can't have a baby and then give it away. I'll get attached to it." 

"There has to be a way," Darcy says firmly. 

"Volstagg has more than a dozen kids," Jane argues. 

"Yes, and Hildegund is still pestering him for more. Because that's what she wants, which is cool. They'll have their own soccer team soon enough. But Janey, that's not what you want, and that's totally okay. You know that, right?" 

"Yeah." Jane wipes her eyes. "Yeah. I know. I- I just feel weird about it." 

"Me too," Darcy says. After a little while, she nudges their shoulders together. "Wanna order a fuck-ton of Chinese food and order a raven from the dark-web with me?"

"Yeah." Jane cracks a smile. "Yeah. That sounds nice. Can we get satay chicken and stir-fried beansprouts?" 

"Duh. Of course." Darcy says. "And a nice big glass of red wine for me, I think." 

Jane yells in indignation. "No. No way! If I can't drink, neither can you! That's not fair." 

"But we have that nice bottle of Merlot that Pepper got me for my birthday." 

"No!" Jane swats her arm. "No drinking. I mean it. That's so against bestie code." 

"But the Merlot.." 

"No."

Darcy sighs forlornly. "Fine. But I'm ordering extra prawn toast and you are not allowed to whine about the smell. I don't give a shit if you're pregnant. I want prawn toast and I will have prawn toast." 

Jane grins. "Deal." 

"Great." Darcy nods. Her phone screen lights up. "It's Tony. I think I accidentally sent a half-finished sentient water-bottle preliminary." 

"Answer it. I'm gonna go and order the food and cry a little." Jane says, pushing herself to her feet. 

"'Kay," Darcy answers the call and watches her leave the bathroom, leaving the door open a crack. "Sup, Mr Warbucks." 

"I like it. Pep's always trying to get me to drink more water. She'll back this." He leaps straight to business. "How'd you come up with the idea?" 

"Today I found out that my pee looks like lemon-lime Gatorade." 

"Jesus, Darlene. That's disgusting." Tony gags. "I'll have a prototype with you by tomorrow morning. Sounds like you need it." 

"And one for Jane too," Darcy says, standing up and getting started on cleaning up the mess they'd made. "She'll get jealous otherwise." 

"Sure, sure." He agrees distantly, probably already putting together a design. "You didn't come to dinner last week."

"You were in Tokyo." Darcy prods his memory as she sprays disinfectant all around the sink and throws the empty cups into the trash can. She almost puts Jane's test in there too but hesitates and puts it in the back of the sink cabinet instead. 

"I was?" He asks. 

"Yup. Something about acquiring a part for the new Stark Phone." She's got the newest release pressed-up against her ear. It was only released to the public a month ago, but she's had it since the first prototype was released for testing in February. One of the perks of being the illegitimate daughter of one of America's most affluent men; who also happens to be the inventor of said device. "If you're in the country on Tuesday, I'll come over. It's my night-off." 

"Tuesday. Okay. I'll pencil it in." He says. "Jarvis, you know what to do. What do you want to eat? I can cook. We can have Ossobuco." 

"Sounds good. Will Pepper be there? I have some paperwork from Coulson that I need to get to her by the end of the month. Nothing important, just some tweaks in Shield's contract with SI." Darcy turns on the tap and rinses away the disinfectant, trying not to let the pungent smell make her cough. She pushes opens up the small window to let in some air. 

"I'll ask." He says. "I bought a ring." He says. 

Darcy halts on the spot, eyes widening. "Wait, what?" 

"A ring. I bought one." He sounds slightly nervous now. "Is that okay? I mean- are you okay with that?" 

"Oh." She exhales slowly, overwhelmed with emotion. First Jane, and now this? "Of course I'm okay with it. I love Pepper, you know that." She hesitates. "It is for Pepper, right?" 

Tony squawks. "Of course it's for Pepper!" 

"Good." Darcy grins. "I'm so happy for you. Can I be a bridesmaid? No, wait, I want to be the flower girl!" 

"Darlene, you are twenty-five years old." 

"Your point?" Darcy smirks. "Wasn't it you who said, "My girl, you can be anything you want to be." I can have Jarvis pull up the home videos if you don't believe me." 

"I let you get a Poli-Sci degree."

"Only after I refused to talk to you for a month." 

"And the hunger strike." Tony sounds exhausted just thinking about it. "And the ridiculing me on social media."

Darcy smirks at the memory. She was a very dramatic teenager, but who could blame her with Tony 'I am Iron Man' Stark for a father. "When are you planning on asking?" 

"Our anniversary. I'm taking her to the Maldives." He says, sounding quite far from the phone. He's put her on speaker, she surmises. Fair enough. "That's where her parents got engaged." 

"Oh, dad. That's so cute." Darcy sticks out her bottom lip, warmth surrounding her chest. "I can't wait." 

"Me too." He clears his throat, still as uncomfortable with emotion as always. "Alright, gotta go. I wanna get these water-bottles in production." He says. 

"See you on Tuesday." 

"Tuesday." He agrees. "Ti Amo." 

Darcy smiles so wide her eyes crease at the corners. "Ti Amo, Papi." 

She puts the phone back into her pocket and walks through the apartment and into the kitchen, where she finds Jane hunched over her laptop. "Everything okay in here?" 

Jane looks up from the screen. "I have secured a raven." 

"Awesome." Darcy smiles. "Good price?" 

"Eh." Jane shrugs. "They're always more expensive on rush-order. I made an appointment with Shield medical tomorrow too." She looks back at the screen. 

"Good idea." Darcy collapses onto the marshmallow couch. "You order the food yet?" 

"Mhm." Jane pushes the laptop over to Darcy. "Look at this graph." Darcy looks at the graph. "Tell me if you can see any discrepancies. I need to go and pray." 

Darcy makes a face. "You're not religious." 

"I know. I'm going to pray to Frigga that her son doesn't say anything dumb when I tell him I don't want a baby." She walks out of the living room with long, confident strides. 

Darcy looks down at the graph and sighs. 

Ugh, math. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided that I'm going to be posting a chapter every day until this fic is completed. I have the bulk written already, I just have a few things to iron out!

"Pancakes or waffles?" Jane asks when Darcy strolls into the kitchen the next morning, sporting some impressive bed head and still wearing her beloved Hello Kitty pyjamas. "You look awful." 

"Good morning to you too." Darcy drawls sarcastically as she falls into one of the chairs at their small kitchen table. "I don't know if I'll be able to keep anything down. That prawn toast really didn't agree with me last night." 

"Oh no." Jane frowns sympathetically. "Well, I'll make you pancakes. With lemon and sugar. You know, like the ones we had in London. They're refreshing and not too heavy."

"You mean crepes?" Darcy asks. 

Jane nods. "Yeah. The thin ones. They're really easy to make. Flour, eggs and milk. That's it." 

Darcy licks her lips. "Could you add some cinnamon or would that ruin the consistency?" 

After a moment of consideration, Jane shrugs and opens the spice cupboard. "It can't hurt to try. I'm sure it'll be fine. If not, I'll make a fresh batch and you can just put cinnamon sugar on top instead." 

"Awesome," Darcy says, resting her head in her arms. "What time is your appointment today?"

"Midday. You'll come with me, right?" Jane, suddenly nervous, turns to stare pleadingly at her best friend. "I really don't want to go on my own." 

"Of course I'll go with you." Darcy sniffs. "Ugh. I think I might have food poisoning." 

Jane, whisking the batter, looks alarmed. "Wait, really? Are you going to puke? Please don't." 

Darcy grunts. "No. My stomach's empty." It had to be, surely. "I just feel terrible." 

"Mr Chow," Jane says morosely. 

"Mr Chow," Darcy repeats.

"We're taking the day off today," Jane reports. 

"Really?" Darcy asks, astounded. It was usually her insisting Jane take a day off, not the other way around. Never the other way around. 

Jane nods. "As much as I hate to admit it, neither of us are in any shape to do lab work. I'm a nervous wreck and you look like you're on the verge of collapse. We'd probably do more harm than good." 

"Good point." Darcy sits up and winces when the room spins. "Have you checked the doorstep this morning?" 

"Mail hasn't been yet," Jane says as she ladles some batter onto a pan. "Too early." 

"Yeah, I know." Darcy stands up and walks to the front-door, unbolting the four dead-locks her father had installed the day she and Jane moved into the walk-up apartment block. She picks up the SI stamped box that was hidden behind the potted plant next to their 'Welcome To Asgard!' novelty doormat. "Tony said he'd have some stuff delivered." 

"What stuff?" Jane's voice travels through the apartment as Darcy closes the door back up. "Don't tell me he actually made us sentient water bottles." 

"Oh, he absolutely did." Darcy snorts as she walks back into the kitchen with the box clutched to her chest. "Gimme some scissors." Jane hands them over and Darcy uses them to slice open the seal. Jane turns down the heat as she watches. "Oh em gee. Look!" Darcy takes the bottles out of the box and holds them up with a beaming grin. "They have our names on them." 

Jane snatches her from her and admires the cursive lettering up the side. "Way better than the ones on Amazon." She and Tony still aren’t on the best terms. She’s still mad at him for trying to poach Darcy away from her last year, but for Darcy’s sake, they’re trying. 

Darcy quickly reads through the instructions. "Okay. They can be charged with the same charger as the Stark Phone. Awesome." She reads down. "Awh. He couldn't get Pepper to agree with putting an AI in the bottles, so he recorded Jarvis' voice and a reminder to drink up should play every thirty minutes." 

"I love it." Jane flips the first crepe onto a plate. It's only slightly charred. "I'm kinda glad Pepper didn't let him use AI. That would've been a bit too much."

"I disagree." 

"You would. You grew up in a house effectively controlled by one." Jane laughs, shaking her head. "For us normies, who didn't grow up with a robot nanny, it'd be too much." 

Darcy laughs. "You joke, but Jay was way more efficient than any of the actual nannies Tony ever hired to look after me." 

"I've heard the horror stories." Jane shudders, pouring the batter into the pan again. It smokes a little this time, so she turns down the heat. Darcy watches on dubiously. Jane isn't a bad cook, per se, but she does have a bad habit of getting distracted. "The raven is being delivered at six." 

"Cool. We can get it sent off tonight." Darcy's phone vibrates. She picks it up and reads the message. "Oh. Brock wants to take me to dinner tomorrow." 

"What?" Jane hands Darcy a plate of slightly charred but still edible pancakes, along with a bowl of sliced lemon and a pot of granulated sugar. "Why? I thought you two had an agreement." 

"We do." Darcy stares at the text, puzzled. He's even made the effort to add a single 'x' at the end. "What do I say?" 

"I don't know." Jane takes two crepes and Darcy just takes one. "Have you ever had dinner together before?" 

"No." Darcy puts the phone down. "I can't reply. I don't know what to say." 

"Won't he see that you've read it?" Jane frets, eyebrows knitting together and she shoves a forkful of crepe into her mouth. 

Darcy shakes her head. "No. I have my read receipts turned off." 

"Good." Jane makes a face. "What happened the last time you guys, you know-" 

"Had breathtaking, naughty, clandestine sex?" Darcy finishes. "Uh, he's been away for a week. An undercover op in Serbia. We spent the night together before he left. Nothing happened. Not that I can remember, anyway." 

"Okay. Well, maybe something happened on the op," Jane suggests.

Darcy frowns. "Oh no. What if something bad happened?" She picks up her phone and opens up her text log, typing out a quick reply. "I'm just gonna ask if everything's okay." 

"Mm." Jane hums around a mouthful of food. 

Darcy chews tentatively on a mouthful before humming in contentment. "These are good. The lemon was a good idea. Thanks, Janey." 

"You're welcome." Jane looks over her shoulder at the fire escape window and sighs deploringly. "I wish I could text Thor." 

The sorrow on Jane's face makes Darcy frown. "You could still call for Heimdall, you know. If you want Thor to get here sooner." 

Jane shrugs. "Maybe. After we've seen the doctor, though." 

"Okay." Darcy nudges their feet together under the table. "Hey, bestie, everything's gonna be fine. I promise." 

Jane hooks their ankles together. "Love you." 

Darcy smiles broadly around a mouthful of crepe. "Awh! I love you too!" 

"Oh, Ew! Darcy, come on! That's so gross, stop it." Jane covers her eyes, not wanting to see the chewed up food in Darcy's mouth. Darcy howls with laughter. Jane groans and unhooks their ankles. "I take it back. You're a menace. I hate you." 

Darcy keeps laughing until Jane throws a segment of lemon at her. 

\---

Three hours later, Jane and Darcy sit next to each other in the Shield medical waiting room. 

Darcy flips through a pamphlet on teen pregnancy. "Why do they even have this here? Are there teenagers working at Shield now? Did I miss the briefing?" 

"They might be for the recruits. They're teenagers, right?" Jane asks. 

"Yeah, most of them are fresh out of high school. Eighteen or nineteen." Darcy moves onto a page about 'accepting responsibility.' "Wow, this is so demeaning. I hate it." 

"Did they make you take home one of those after high school health class?" 

"Yeah. You?"

"Yeah. My dad thought I was hiding the fact that I was pregnant for a week before he worked up the courage to confront me about it. He almost had a stroke. After I set him straight he actually cried in relief." 

"Was it worse than when you accidentally made chlorine gas while cleaning the bathroom?" Darcy asks. 

Jane nods solemnly. "Yeah. He really did think I was going to make him a grandpa at forty. Poor guy." 

"I've never had a pregnancy scare," Darcy says. "Well, except for that time in London, but that doesn't count." 

Jane makes a face. "Um, yes it does." 

Darcy shakes her head, fixing her gaze back on the pamphlet. "No, it doesn't." 

"You got a false positive and thought it was real," Jane says. "You called your dad and started bawling. You spent four hours crying because you didn't want to have a rich, stuck up, Boothby baby. You didn't calm down until Tony got to London and Jarvis told you that you weren't actually pregnant. How can you say that that doesn't count?" Jane asks. 

"It just doesn't," Darcy says vehemently. She peeks over the top of the pamphlet. "You nervous?"

Jane nods, sinking down in her chair. "A little. I just wish this wasn't happening, you know?" 

"Sure," Darcy says. Jane doesn't look reassured, so she tries a different technique. Distraction. Her speciality. "Brock still hasn't messaged me back." 

"He might be working." Jane perks up a little. "You did say he's been on an op. He might be in a debrief. Thor said they sometimes take longer than the actual mission." 

"I guess." Darcy puffs out her cheeks before expelling the air. "I'm just impatient. I hate waiting." 

"I wonder which parent you inherited that trait from," Jane smirks. 

Darcy laughs. 

"Dr Foster? I'm ready for you." 

Jane stands up, pauses, and looks down at Darcy. "You're coming in with me." 

Darcy puts the pamphlet aside. "Yes, ma'am." 

They follow the nurse into the examination room. Jane sits stiffly on the edge of the medical bed and Darcy sits in the armchair in the corner. 

The doctor sits at her desk and smiles easily. "Okay. What can I do for you today?" 

"I took a pregnancy test last night. It was positive." Jane spits the words out. "I just want to, uh, have some confirmation. I guess." 

Darcy smiles at her encouragingly. 

The doctor takes the information in stride. "Okay. I have a few questions for you first and then we can take a test, okay?" She confirms, and Jane nods. "When was your last period?" 

Jane hesitates. "I don't know." 

"That's fine. Not many people actually keep track." The doctor reassures, jotting the information down onto the laptop on her desk. "Okay. Have you had any of the following symptoms; nausea, frequent urination, fatigue?" 

Jane shakes her head. "No. None of that." 

"Okay. And do you use any form of birth control?" 

"Yes," Jane says simply. 

"Brilliant." The doctor drones as she finishes typing. "Are you okay with me carrying out a quantitative blood test? It's the most accurate way of confirming the pregnancy, especially in the early stages." 

"Of course." Jane thrusts out her arm. 

The doctor laughs, standing up and gently pushing Jane's arm down. "I have to get a few things first. I'll be back in a few minutes. Feel free to help yourself to some water." She says to them both, gesturing to the filtered water tank. 

As soon as she's gone, Darcy stands up and walks over to join Jane on the bed. "She's nice. I like her." 

Jane nods. "I know. She did my pap-smear last year." 

"I've yet to experience the joys of Shield Medicare," Darcy says. "It'd be a lot easier to just come here. I hate having to drive two hours just to see my dentist." 

"Tony?" Jane asks. 

"Tony." Darcy nods, gravely. "He's immovable. Insists I need to see the most accredited dentist, gynaecologist, therapist, the works." 

"It's nice that he cares about that stuff," Jane says with a shrug. "My dad used to just shove business cards under my bedroom door. He was never any good at that stuff." 

"Poor guy." Darcy sympathises with the man, she really does. Taking care of Jane isn't an easy feat. She can't imagine having to actually raise her, especially on his own.

"I never cared, though." Jane shrugs, a dainty smile on her lips. "He used to sit with me in the garden for hours while I stargazed, even in the winter. And he took me to the observatory every Saturday if I got a good report at school." She puffs out her chest. "I always got a good report." 

Darcy blinks back a sudden onslaught of tears. "Oh, Janey." She sniffles. 

Jane looks at her in alarm. "Uh- why are you crying? Don't cry. I didn't mean to upset you!" 

"You didn't upset me!" Darcy argues, wiping her eyes furiously. "That was just such a nice story. I love hearing about baby Jane! You were such a cute kid." 

The doctor walks back into the room and greets Darcy and Jane with a polite smile. Darcy slinks back to her chair in the corner while the doctor sets up a vile and prepares the needle. 

"Assuming you want them rushed, we can have the results in a matter of minutes." The doctor says as she wipes down Jane's arm with an antibacterial solution.

"Yes. Rushed." Jane nods, closing her eyes as the needle pierces her skin. 

Darcy looks away and swallows down a wave of nausea. 

Nice to know her aversion to blood hasn't improved any in the last four months. 

The doctor leaves as soon as she's got the blood secured. Jane looks down at the small plaster and grimaces. "That never gets any easier." 

"Preach," Darcy says. She takes a deep breath. 

They're quiet for the next few minutes. Jane needs some time, but she doesn't want to spend the time she needs alone. Darcy's content to just sit in the chair and act like she doesn't desperately need to pee.

Darcy's scrolling through Instagram and in the process of leaving a thirst comment under Steve's latest post, a picture of a very grand looking oak tree, when the door opens again. 

She looks up and her stomach drops at the expression gracing the doctor's face. 

Jane, more observant than she ever usually is, immediately notices. "What is it?" 

The doctor sits down at her desk and puts down the piece of paper. Once sat down, she regards Jane with a gentle, if slightly wary, expression. "You're not pregnant, Dr Foster." 

Darcy's jaw drops.

Silence swallows the room. 

"What?" Jane squawks. 

The doctor regards her hesitantly. "You're not pregnant, Dr Foster." She repeats. 

Jane's silent for a moment. "You're sure?"

The doctor nods. "A hundred per cent." 

"But the test was positive! Like, two vivid lines, very clearly positive." Jane says, eyes wide. 

The doctor smiles sympathetically. "Unfortunately, store-bought tests often give false positives." 

Jane shakes her head vehemently. "No. That's the thing. It wasn't store-bought. I spent an entire year designing it myself after an incident with a store-bought one. It's incredibly accurate!" Jane waves over at Darcy pointedly. "Tell her, Darcy!" 

Darcy stares. "Janey." 

Jane stares back. "Oh no." 

The doctor looks between them both. "Am I missing something?" 

Jane stands up at the same time as Darcy. 

Jane moves to sit on the armchair and Darcy takes a seat on the bed. 

The doctor studies Darcy. "Symptoms?" 

"All of 'em," Darcy whispers. 

"Oh no," Jane repeats from the corner. 

The doctor nods, patting Darcy's shoulder kindly. "I'll go and get some more materials. Do you have Shield Medicare?" 

"No. I'll pay," Darcy says, feeling strangely detached from her body. 

The doctor nods and leaves the room without any more preamble. 

"Jane, I need you to confiscate my phone," Darcy says, pulling the device out of the pocket of her chunky knit cardigan. 

"Why?" Jane asks, sounding breathless. 

"Because I'm three seconds away from calling my dad and we both know that won't end well. At all." 

Jane takes her phone. 

The doctor comes back, takes her blood and disappears again. 

When she returns, she hands Darcy the printed out results of the beta hCG test. 

Darcy whimpers. "Oh, fuck." 

Jane covers her mouth in shock. 

The doctor smiles. "Congratulations, Miss Lewis. You're pregnant." 

Darcy pukes on the floor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still no Brock. Don't fret, our favourite Shieldra agent is in the next chapter. 
> 
> See you tomorrow <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featuring a pretty mellow meltdown (for Stark standards), a whole lotta morning sickness and finally, Brock!!

They make it out of the building without anyone stopping them. 

Jane drives them home. Darcy's hands are still shaking. 

"It's Brock's, right?" Jane asks tentatively once they're back in their apartment and curled up together under one of the quilts Darcy knitted over the summer while Jane was stationed at the hadron supercollider. 

"Yeah," Darcy says, swallowing thickly. She hasn't slept with anyone else since.. well, since Ian. 

"And you're keeping it?" Jane asks. 

Darcy sniffles. "I don't know." 

Jane pats her head woodenly. She's never been any good at comforting people when they're upset, but Darcy can appreciate the effort. "That's okay. You don't need to know what you want to do yet. Six weeks. That's still early." 

Clearly, Jane's tests weren't as reliable as they thought. They didn't pick up on early pregnancy. It'd taken Darcy's sixth week for the test to actually detect her heightened HCG levels. 

Jane was already working on a new prototype. 

"He still hasn't answered my text," Darcy whispers. 

Jane grits her teeth and puts down the Stark Pad. "Jack-booted-thug." 

"Yeah." Darcy giggles and then sobs. "Oh, no! I'm having a baby with a- with a-"

"Jack-booted-thug." Jane offers. 

Darcy nods and hiccups. "Yeah." 

"Does he want kids?" Jane asks. 

Darcy shrugs. "I don't even know his middle name." 

"Oh." Jane winces. "Maybe he doesn't have one." 

"Everyone has a middle name," Darcy argues. "What if he doesn't want kids, Jane? I don't want to be a single mom. That was never the plan!" 

Jane frowns. "There was a plan?" 

Darcy splutters. "Well, no! But if there was, being a single mom wouldn't be on it." 

"There's nothing wrong with being a single mom," Jane says firmly. 

"I know," Darcy sniffs. 

"We were both raised by single parents." Jane points out. "And we turned out great." 

Darcy's face crumbles. "I really want my dad." She weeps. 

Jane shakes her head. "No. You need to calm down first. Once you start thinking rationally and stop freaking out, I'll give you back your phone. I think you're in shock." 

As if to prove the astrophysicist's point, Darcy begins to breathe erratically. "Oh god. Oh fuck. I can't do this. I need some wine!" 

"You can't, honey," Jane says. "No more wine for you." 

Darcy cries. And cries. And then cries some more. 

Jane stays by her side the entire time. Occasionally, she delivers Darcy a napkin to wipe away some snot but other than that she just sits by and gives Darcy some times to deal with the news. 

They order Italian food for lunch. Darcy eats her friarelli rusticotti between sniffles. Jane shoves her salad into her mouth like it's going to disappear if she doesn't eat the entire portion in a matter of minutes. 

When the sun begins to set, they've settled on watching re-runs of New Girl. 

"He still hasn't text me back. I think he's ignoring me." 

"Try not to assume the worst, Darce," Jane says. "Remember what I told you about debrief protocol? I wasn't kidding. They can go on for a while." 

"But they still get bathroom breaks! I mean, come on, how long does it take to send a text? Thirty seconds, max." Darcy moans. "Oh no. Janey, what if he got a girlfriend wants to take me to dinner to have the 'I had a good time boning you on the sly but we're donezo.' conversation?" 

Jane glowers. "I'll kill him. Then I'll let your dad kill him. And then I'll get Thor to refuse him entry to Valhalla and have him sent straight to Hel instead." 

Darcy chuckles wetly. "Badass."

The doorbell rings. 

Jane stands up. "Don't worry. It's just the raven." 

Darcy sits back, curling into the quilt while Jane answers the door. 

A few minutes pass before the astrophysicist walks back into the room carrying a birdcage covered with a piece of black fabric. 

"What're we gonna do with it?" Darcy looks at the cage sadly. 

Jane purses her lips. "Depends." 

"On what?" Darcy asks. 

"Whether you want to tell Thor that he's expecting a niece or nephew," Jane says with an easy smile. 

No judgement. No contention. 

Darcy looks down at her hands. 

She's twenty-five years old. She's got a steady paycheque and a trust fund that could support her for five lifetimes. She's got a doting dad and an incredible soon-to-be step-mom. She's got the best best friend anyone could ever ask for and she's found a brother in the God of Thunder. 

But she doesn't have a husband. She doesn't even have a boyfriend. 

She just has Brock. 

Brock Rumlow; who is a jack-booted-thug, a shield triple agent, and formerly known by his Hydra codename, Crossbones. Brock, whose middle name she doesn't know and who still hasn't answered her damn text. 

And now she has a maybe baby too. 

She stares down at her abdomen. It's pudgy and soft, but not any more so than usual. She doesn't look pregnant, and she doesn't necessarily feel pregnant either, but knowing there's the antecedent of a baby in there, right beneath her fingertips, makes her heart flutter merrily. 

Darcy doesn't have to say anything. She just looks at Jane and the astrophysicist smiles softly. "Okay. I'll write out a letter and send it tonight." 

Jane puts the bird in the kitchen before returning to her spot on the marshmallow couch. 

Darcy curls around Jane's angular edges. "I need to tell my dad."

"You need to tell Brock." Jane contends. 

"I'll tell Brock when he answers my text." 

"You're being stubborn." Jane sighs. "If you call him, he'll answer." 

Darcy makes a face. "Ugh. We don't _call_ , Jane. We text. Like normal people under the age of forty do." 

"Exactly," Jane states. "So he'll know it's important if you call him. He'll answer." 

"What if he doesn't though?" Darcy asks. "What if he just ghosts me and I don't see him again until our kid's six years old and looks just like him. Like that movie, the one we watched a few weeks ago." 

"Forever My Girl?" Jane asks. 

Darcy nods and sniffs. "Yeah." 

"That won't happen. For so many reasons." Jane points out. "Number one. You work in the same building. Number two. He didn't leave you at the altar. Number three. Brock isn't a country singer and you're not a florist." 

"I'm being irrational, aren't I?" Darcy sighs. 

Jane nods with a sympathetic smile. "A little bit." 

"Oh." Darcy tips her backwards and stares at the ceiling. The glow-in-the-dark stars that she and Jane had put up the day they moved in glow somewhat. "Can you dial his number for me?" 

"Sure I can," Jane says softly. She gets Darcy's phone from her handbag and uses her fingerprint to open it, just like Darcy can do with hers. She scrolls through her contacts and clicks on the one designated 'Yummy Brock.' She hands Darcy the phone. "It's ringing." 

"'Kay." Darcy mumbles, stomach cramping with nerves. She takes several steadying breaths while the dial tone rings in her ear. Once, twice, three times, four times, and then it stops. 

"Hey, sweetheart. I'm in debrief. Everything okay?" Brock says as soon as the call connects. Darcy freezes up, mouth hanging open. Her silence must unnerve him, because all of the background noise on his end of the call seizes and when he talks again, his voice is deeper. "Darcy? What's going on?"

"Um." She squeaks, voice catching in her throat. "Um, I- uh, I really need to talk to you." 

"Yeah?" It sounds like he's moving. "What's your word?" 

"Oh!" Darcy's eyes widen. Of course he thinks she's in danger. She's a nervous, stuttering mess. And she's _calling_ him. "It's pineapple! I'm safe! I'm at home." 

"Jesus." He exhales loudly and something clatters on his end of the line. "You scared me, sweetheart. The hell are you doing, calling me like that? You want me to have a heart attack, huh? Is that it?." 

Darcy squeaks. "I'm perfectly safe! I'm at home with Jane and we're watching TV." She reports. "But we really do need to talk." She says. He goes quiet. "It's not- uh- it's nothing bad. Technically. Maybe. Well, it depends on how you look at it, I guess." She blubbers. 

The enormity of the situation must come across in her at some point during her tirade because he takes a deep breath and says. "Alright. I can be at your place within the hour. Unlock the door." 

"What?" Darcy sits up and shakes her head, eyes growing wide. "No! No, it can wait. You should finish your debrief. I- we can talk tomorrow." 

There's a long stretch of silence. "You sure?" He asks. 

"Yeah." Darcy breathes out. "Tomorrow's good." 

"Alright. Tomorrow." He agrees. "I'll be there at seven." He doesn't leave any room for argument. 

Darcy's eyes widen. "AM?" She squeaks. 

"Yeah. Seven AM. I'll bring you something for breakfast. A pastry or something from that shop you like on fifth. See you then, sweetheart." He says and then ends the call. 

Darcy lets the phone fall into her lap. She stares at Jane, slack-jawed. "He'll be here in the morning." 

Jane nods slowly. "I heard." 

"I think I'm about to freak out." 

Jane gently pries her phone away from her again. "I'll hold onto this for now. We don't want daddy Stark killing Brock before the poor guy even knows what sealed his fate." 

"I'll tell Tony tomorrow. After I tell Brock." Darcy thinks about it for a moment. "Actually, I should probably wait until Tuesday. We're having dinner." It's currently Saturday. "I don't want to tell him he's going to be a grandpa over the phone. That doesn't feel right." Darcy makes a face. "Also, he has heart problems."

"Right. Well, then it's settled. I'll send the raven off to Asgard tonight, you'll tell Brock tomorrow, and then you can tell Tony and maybe Pepper on Tuesday." Jane says, somehow making it sound so easy. 

Darcy weeps. "Oh no." 

Jane looks at her with wide eyes. Darcy had stopped crying a while ago, so this was a step back. "What? What's wrong?" 

Darcy stares at her best friend despairingly. "I'm gonna have to tell my dad that I've been boning Brock Rumlow. AKA Crossbones. AKA ex Hydra triple agent." 

"Shit." 

"Yeah," Darcy sniffs. "Shit." 

\---

Darcy falls asleep underneath a heap of blankets, surrounded by what feels like a hundred pillows. She wakes up in the morning with a dry mouth and a somersaulting stomach. 

"Ugh." She grunts, peeling herself away from Jane, who continues to snore mightily. Darcy thanks Thor for the queen-sized bed that her best friend invested in when they moved to New York, because when she rolls over, she doesn't fall onto the floor. Just into another heap of pillows, these ones constructed of Asgardian fabrics. A gift from Frigga that'd been delivered via Thor on Jane's last birthday. 

She stumbles into the bathroom and empties the contents of her stomach into the toilet bowl. Five minutes later, she collapses against the cold tile floor pathetically. 

She looks up when a pair of slipper clad feet enter her line of vision. Jane stares down at her. "You're on the bathroom floor." 

Darcy nods. "I know. I just need a few minutes." 

Jane stares for a moment longer before nodding. "Okay." 

The astrophysicist goes about her business as if Darcy isn't sprawled out across the floor. She pees, brushes her teeth, washes her face, the works. 

Darcy, with her cheek pressed against the now slightly warm tiles, sniffs unhappily. "I hate being sick." 

"Everyone hates being sick," Jane remarks. "I'll get you some anti-nausea medication that's safe for pregnant women. If I can't find any, I'll make you some." 

Darcy whines when her stomach turns again. "Oh no." She lurches up and wraps her arms around the toilet. 

"Oh, Darcy." Jane sighs. Like a good best friend, she pulls her hair out of her face and ties it up into a sloppy ponytail. "I'll do some research, okay? I'll find out everything there is to know about morning sickness. If I can't come up with a cure, I'll reach out to Bruce Banner and get him to help me with it. I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping me out. He's been wanting to collaborate on a project for a while now." She shrugs. "Granted, I doubt it's what he's expecting, but I'll convince him." 

"'Kay." Darcy sniffles, using the sleeve of her top to wipe her mouth. Disgusting, but quite frankly, she can't bring herself to care. Jane hands her a cup of water and she takes slow sips through deep, calculated breaths. "What's the time?" 

Jane looks at her watch. "Almost seven." 

In response, Darcy heaves again. 

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm so glad it's you that's pregnant and not me," Jane says. 

"God, I hate you." Darcy grunts. 

Jane hands her a fresh glass of water. 

Once dressed for the day, Jane sits down next to the toilet and keeps Darcy company. She talks about the medical journal she's planning to read on pregnancy and prenatal care. 

It helps, in a way. 

At exactly seven, the doorbell rings. 

"I'll let him in," Jane says. "You look beautiful." 

"Liar," Darcy grumbles, resting her head on the cold glass seat. 

Jane doesn't come back into the bathroom, but she obviously shows Brock the way because after a moment, there he is. In all his glory, looking way too good for seven am. 

Darcy leans over the toilet and retches. 

"Oh, sweetheart." Brock commiserates. He gets on his knees behind her and pulls her hair back into a neater knot before beginning to rub her back in soothing circles. "It's alright, baby. Get it all out. There ya go." He whispers. 

Darcy fusses and rests her cheek on the toilet seat. "Oh no." She mutters. "You're never gonna have sex with me again. This has to be the most unsexy thing you've ever seen. I got puke on your shirt. I'm officially the unsexiest woman in the world and I got puke on you. No more sex ever." She mourns. 

"Calm down, sweetheart. Don't be ridiculous." He chides, shaking his head. "Stay there, okay? Try not to move. I'm gonna grab a cloth and clean you up a little." He says. 

Darcy nods weakly, gaze following him as he searches for a cloth. Once he's found one of Jane's muslin fabrics, he gets it wet under the tap and wrings it out before coming back over to her. He gets on his knees and uses the refreshingly cold rag to wipe the perspiration off of her forehead. 

When she starts dry heaving, he rubs her back and mumbles sweet-nothings in her ear until she calms down and releases her iron grip on the toilet. 

As soon as she slumps backwards, exhausted and aching, he gently draws her into his arms, resting her between his legs. "You got a stomach bug? When was the first time you were sick?" He fusses.

"Yesterday. But Brock-" Darcy starts. 

He tuts, running the cloth over the back of her neck. "You should've just let me come over last night."

"You were in debrief," Darcy argues. 

Brock rolls his eyes. "Fuck the debrief." 

"Don't let Steve hear you say that." Darcy sniffs wetly. She looks over at the toilet regretfully. "I'm sorry you had to see that." 

Brock frowns. "Baby, why the hell are you sorry? You can't help being ill." 

Darcy takes a deep breath. "Brock, I'm not sick," She says, and then clarifies. "I'm vomiting, but I'm not _ill_." 

Brock sighs, running his hands up and down Darcy's arms comfortingly. "Darce, baby, you don't need to pretend. It's okay." 

"I'm not pretending," Darcy whispers. She shuffles out of his arms and turns to face him. They're both sat on the bathroom floor now. Darcy wrings her hands together nervously. "So, um, you remember yesterday when I said that I needed to talk to you?"

"Sure," Brock responds. 

Darcy flushes. "Right. Well, I'm gonna tell you something. Don't freak out." 

"Sweetheart." Brock rumbles, eyes hard as he stares at her. "The hell's going on?" 

Jane appears in the doorway. 

Darcy stares at her soon-to-be baby daddy. 

"Darcy." Brock urges, eyes narrowing into slits. 

"I'm pregnant." She blurts. 

Brock blinks. "You're having a baby?" 

Darcy winces. "Uh, correction, we're having a baby." 

Brock faints. 

Darcy sighs. 

Jane cackles. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember, feedback feeds the author! I love hearing your thoughts about each chapter! Every comment is a huge incentive boost!x


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the countdown to christmas day has begun! if you don't celebrate, i hope you have a happy and healthy week nonetheless. 
> 
> lots of darcy and brock in this chapter. enjoy!

Brock's out for less than a minute before his eyelids begin to flutter.

Darcy sits cross-legged on the floor, watching him rouse guardedly. 

Jane procures a packet of saltines and hands them to the pale brunette. "Nibble on these. Google said that they'll help settle your stomach." 

Darcy nods silently. "Thanks. I think I broke him." 

"Nah, he's just in shock." Jane shakes it off. "He'll be fine. Do you want some tea? I'll make peppermint." 

Darcy scrunched up her nose and shakes her head. "Ew. No thanks. Do we have any blue Gatorade?" 

Jane shakes her head regrettably. "No." 

"Damn." Darcy pouts. "Fine. I'll get some the next time I go to the store. Add it to the list on the fridge. The one pinned up by the New Mexico magnet." 

Jane hesitates. "They're pretty high in sugar. Maybe I should do some research and make sure they're safe to drink when you're pregnant." 

"Sure." Darcy allows. She looks at her best friend when she recalls some information from the website she'd skimmed through yesterday. "Did you know that I shouldn't eat soft cheese? How sad is that? No more brie for me." 

Jane hisses through her teeth. "Oh. That sucks." 

Darcy nods solemnly. "Yeah." 

Brock groans and rolls over. 

Darcy pins her gaze on him. 

He pushes himself into a sitting position, leaning against the laundry basket. "Jesus." He mutters, rubbing his eyes. "Why's it so fucking bright in here?" 

Darcy looks over at Jane. 

The astrophysicist backs out of the bathroom. "I'll be in the kitchen. Making breakfast. Toast. Or maybe pancakes. Or cereal." She disappears. 

Darcy hugs her knees to her chest and turns her gaze to Brock, who stares at her like it's the first time he's seeing her. She feels her cheeks redden under his scrutiny.

"Your hair looks pretty," Brock says uselessly. 

"Sure it does," Darcy says, unconvinced. "Did I break you?" 

Brock grunts and runs his hand through his hair roughly. "Darce, sweetheart, you've fried my brain. I'm gonna need another minute." 

"Okay," Darcy says. Her gaze floats up to the ceiling. She gets to one-hundred-and-thirty-two before Brock disrupts her count.

"Fuck." He curses. Darcy looks at him. "Fuck. I can't believe this is happening." 

"Makes two of us," Darcy says with a meagre shrug. "I- uh, didn't exactly see this coming." 

"Right," Brock mutters. He expells a heavy breath. "Fuck. I gotta tell my ma." 

"Yeah." Darcy nods slowly. "I gotta tell my dad."

"You keeping it?" Brock asks, expression guarded. 

"Yeah." Darcy purses her lips anxiously. She hates how good he is at hiding his emotions. "Are you okay with that?" 

His shoulders slump an inch. "Yeah, sweetheart. I'm okay with that." 

"Cool." 

"Cool," Brock parrots. 

Darcy plays with her hands nervously, gnawing on her bottom lip. 

Brock closes his eyes. "I don't even know how old you are. How fucked up is that?" 

"I'm twenty-five," Darcy says. "I don't know your middle name." 

"James," Brock says. "You're twenty-five?" 

"Yeah." Darcy nods. "Twenty-six on May fifth." 

"Fuck." Brock looks at her. "I'm forty-three." 

Darcy blinks. And then blinks again. "What?" She squeaks. 

Brock chuckles humorlessly. "I'm forty-three, sweetheart." 

Darcy regards him with wide eyes. "I thought you were in your early thirties." 

Brock shrugs. "The serum lags the natural ageing process." 

"Serum?" Darcy's sure her voice is so shrill that the mirror rattles. "You have a serum? Like Steve?" 

"Thanks to Hydra." He says. "You didn't know that?" 

"No. I didn't know," Darcy whispers, dismayed. She lets her face fall into her hands. "Oh no. I don't know anything about you." 

Brock tarries for a moment. "You got a middle name?" 

Darcy peeks at him through her fingers. "Yeah. Maria." 

Brock takes the information in his stride. "What's your favourite colour?" 

Darcy sighs. "Brock-" 

"I bet it's yellow. You wear a lot of yellow. I like that. You remind me of sunshine." He goes on. "I don't have a favourite colour. I like wearing black though. And my kitchen cabinets are navy blue." 

Darcy slowly uncurls her limbs. "Yeah. I like your kitchen." 

"Glad to hear it, baby." He smirks. "Was I right?" 

"Somewhat." Darcy feels a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I like wearing yellow to work because everything else at Shield is dull and hard to look at. Very drab." She shrugs. "But technically, my favourite colour is red." 

Never let it be said that she's not a loyal daughter. 

Brock raises his eyebrows in surprise. "Red? I would never have guessed." 

Darcy looks at him pointedly. "My car is red." 

"You mean the car I've never seen you drive?" Brock chuckles. "You drive Jane's SUV to work." 

"Right. Yeah." Darcy remembers. "It's easier to transfer equipment with the SUV. My car is, uh, smaller. Not as practical." 

"Oh yeah?" Brock smiles teasingly. "Is it a Honda? You look like a Honda girl." 

Darcy snorts. "Not quite." 

Her dad would sooner abandon arc reactor technology before letting her drive a Honda. 

"Intriguing." Brock squints. "What bra size do you wear?" 

Darcy cocks an eyebrow. "Thirty-six double-d. Pregnancy makes them bigger though, so look forward to that." She smirks when his eyes drop down to her chest. "What trouser size do you wear?" 

"Thirty-eight waist." He shoots right back. "You got a degree?" 

"Sure. I majored in political science and minored in electrical engineering." She doesn't elaborate. "How long have you been working for Shield?" 

"I joined after I left the Navy. I was twenty-seven. So I've been working for Shield for sixteen years." He says. "Why do you work as Foster's assistant if you've got a poli-sci degree?" 

"Because I love Jane and she'd forget her head if it wasn't attached." She says. "I do use my degree, though. I'm the official intelligence liaison between Asgard and Earth."

"Sounds dangerous." Brock frowns. 

Darcy smiles. "Not really." She says. "I do my best to make sure Asgard stays well informed about Earth's affairs. They thank me by doing the same in return. I've got allies above and below. It's a good position to be in." 

Brock nods slowly. "Sounds like it. You're close with Thor?" 

"Sure. He's Jane's boo and my lightning bro." She grins. "I always wanted a big brother. Used to pray for one when I was little. I guess Frigga heard me." 

"Frigga?" Brock knits his brows together at the unfamiliar name. 

"Thor's mom," Darcy says. 

"Ah. You don't have any actual siblings?" Brock asks. 

Darcy shakes her head. "No. I'm an only child. You?" 

"I got a kid sister. Elena. She's a few years older than you." He says. "Has a little boy, Marcello." 

"Very Italian," Darcy notes. 

"My grandparents were immigrants. I was born and raised in the Bronx." He adjusts his legs into a more comfortable position. "Maria." He says her middle name, rolling his tongue. "That's Italian." 

"On my paternal grandmother's side," Darcy affirms. He takes the empty cup and fills it up for her. "Thanks." 

"No problem, baby." He murmurs, watching her take a sip. "You grow up in New York?" 

"Kinda." She takes a deep breath. "My parents shared custody, so my time was split evenly between New York and Malibu." 

"They weren't together?" He doesn't sound sympathetic, just curious. 

Darcy laughs shortly. "No. Never. I was the result of a one-night-stand." 

Brock watches her carefully when he asks. "You have a good childhood?" 

"Yeah. I did." Darcy says easily. "A real good one. I might not have been planned, but my parents never let it show." Her smile falters. "My, uh, my mom died when I was thirteen." 

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Brock says and opens his arms invitingly. Darcy pauses for a second before shuffling into them, settling against his chest. He wraps his arms around her and exhales. "She have a good life?" 

"Yeah." Darcy nods with a small sniffle. "Saw the world. Raised a kid. She got to do everything she wanted to do." She takes his hand in hers and fiddles with his fingers. "It was cancer. Cervical. It crept up on her. She was only thirty-three." She takes a shaky breath. "I get a screening every six months now." 

"Good girl." Brock unties her hair and starts running his hand through her curls, gently untangling the knots. "You religious?" 

"Nah." Darcy shake her head. "I'm agnostic. I'll believe it if I see it." 

"My parents are Catholic," Brock says. "I don't observe now, but I used to when I was a kid." 

"What changed?" She asks, treading carefully. 

"I joined the Navy." He says shortly. He tugs on a knot and she winces. "Sorry, baby." 

Darcy hums in acknowledgement, closing her eyes and letting the steady beating of his heart relax her. "I'm six weeks along. Just shy of two months. It's still early." 

Brock brushes the tips of his fingers over her stomach. "Six weeks."

"Yeah," Darcy says quietly. "I'm scared." 

"Good. Because I'm fucking terrified." He admits gruffly. 

Darcy giggles wetly. "Wow. I had no idea that you could actually feel emotions, Commander Rumlow. Huh. Who'd have known." 

"Alright. Alright. Laugh it up, Lewis." He says, resting his chin on her head. "When do you wanna start telling people?" 

"Um." Darcy looks up at him through her lashes. "I don't know. Is it too early?" She asks. He shrugs. "Okay, well, uh, I really want to tell my dad." 

"We can do that," Brock says resolutely. 

Darcy blinks, brain short-circuiting. "We?" 

Brock frowns, eyebrows drawing together. "Yeah, baby." He squints as he attempts to read her expression. "What? You don't want me meeting your old man?" 

"Oh god." She whispers. "Um. No. It's not that." 

Brock raises his eyebrows. "What is it, then?" 

"Um." Darcy squeaks. "It's just that- well, my dad's a bit, uh, intense. And he has heart problems. And lots of, um, _guns_?" She carries off. "Yeah, guns. Lot's of them." 

Brock narrows his eyes. "Guns?" 

"Yep." Darcy chirps. "Also, well, we're not together. So I'd literally be introducing him to my fuck-buddy who is also going to be the father of his grandchild. I think he might have a hard time being okay with that." 

"I'm not your fuck-buddy." Brock states. 

Darcy looks up at him. "What?" 

"You're the mother of my children." He says. "That makes you my girl. Not my fuck-buddy. You okay with that?" 

Breathlessly, Darcy nods. "Yeah. I'm very okay with that." 

"Good." He wraps his hand around her wrist softly. "I gotta tell you something." 

Darcy's stomach flips. "Something bad?" 

"I was engaged to Sharon Carter for five years." He says.

Darcy stiffens. "Oh. I didn't know that." 

"It was before you and Jane started working at Shield." He says. "We broke it off last year." 

"Last year," Darcy repeats. She inhales shakily. "You ended things with her before we started sleeping together, right?" 

"Yeah, baby. Yes. Of course." He reassures. "Way before. Months before." 

"Oh," Darcy says. "Five years is a long time." 

"Yeah." Brock agrees. "Things weren't good between us for most of it, though. I was away a lot. So was she. When we did spend time together, all we did was argue." He sighs. "It was a relief when we finally agreed to end things. We spent a long time putting off the inevitable." 

Darcy purses her lips. "I was engaged too." She admits. 

Brock looks down at her sharply. "You were?" 

"Yeah, for a year." She says. "To a guy named Ian. We met in London. It was very rushed. He proposed on the third date. I said yes because he did it in a restaurant full of people and I was too self-conscious to say no." She laughs quietly. "We broke it off when Jane and I decided to move back to New York."

"You still in love with him?" 

"No," Darcy whispers. "Are you still in love Sharon?" 

"No," Brock says. 

"Cool." 

"Cool," Brock repeats, amusement in his eyes. He sobers after a moment. "When are you telling your dad?" 

"Tuesday. We're having dinner together." She tells him. "He's making Ossobuco." 

Brock whistles lowly. "Nice. Authentic?" 

"My nonna's recipe." She affirms. "I'll, um, I'll tell him about the, um, you know." She gestures to her mid-section. 

"The baby?" Brock's lips twitch. 

"Yeah," Darcy says breathlessly. "The baby." 

Brock kisses her head. "You okay?" 

"Yeah. It's just a lot." She says. "I'm worried about my dad." 

"You think he'll be mad?" Brock asks, voice low. 

"No. Not mad." She pauses to consider how to put her concern into words. "Okay, so you fainted, right?" She asks. Brock nods grudgingly. "Well, you see, my dad might actually go into cardiac arrest." 

Brock makes a face. "Seriously?" 

"Yes. It's happened before. When I told him Ian proposed." She sighs. "He's very overdramatic." 

"You sure you don't want me to be there with you when you tell him?" He asks.

Darcy laughs. "Yeah, I'm sure. It's best if I break one thing to him at a time." 

"Can I tell my ma?" Brock asks. 

"Of course. You can tell her whenever you want." Darcy says. "Will she be happy?" 

"She'll be thrilled," Brock says. "She's been begging me to give her another grandbaby since my sister had her tubes tied." He chuckles. "And she'll love you. So will my sister, actually." 

"Yeah?" Darcy hums. "Why?" 

"Because you don't take any of my shit." He says. "And you're not afraid to tell me when I'm wrong." 

Darcy grins. "Yeah." 

Brock kisses her head again. 

They both look up when Jane clears her throat. 

Darcy snorts at the sight of her. "Did the bag of flour attack you?" 

Jane just stares at them. "I made crepes. A lot. Twenty, to be exact." 

Darcy regards her with wide eyes. "Why?" 

Jane bites her lip. "Um, well, you see.." 

Brock leaps to his feet when a loud crash sounds from the kitchen, pushing Darcy behind him instinctively. 

Darcy closes her eyes in realisation. "Oh no." 

"Yeah." Jane winces. 

Brock looks between them sharply, hand clutched around the handle of the knife concealed in his jacket. "Anyone feel like filling me in?" 

"Oh no," Darcy repeats, pressing her face into Brock's back. 

Jane looks at Brock. "I- uh, I kinda freaked out yesterday." 

"Right." Brock narrows his eyes at the slim woman. 

Jane purses her lips. "And maybe I called someone." 

"Who?" Brock asks. 

_"Janey, Darcy-girl, come and eat before these crepes get cold!"_

Jane pouts. "I panicked! I'm sorry!"

Darcy closes her eyes. "I thought he was in Switzerland." 

"Not anymore." 

_"Girls, don't make me come and find you!"_

Darcy whines lowly. "Jane, I can't believe you've done this. How could you?" 

"I'm sorry!" 

Darcy takes a deep breath and looks at Brock, who's staring at her intensely. 

"You ever met a legitimately mad scientist before?" 

"No?" 

"Well, prepare yourself, because there's currently one eating crepes in our kitchen." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback encourages the author <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of updates over the past few days! I've been swept off of my feet with Christmas duties and could hardly find the time to shower, let alone post an update, haha! I'm sure a lot of you know the feeling. 
> 
> Nonetheless, enjoy this update! It's very soft and fluffy! Consider it my holiday gift to you, late as it is <3
> 
> Follow my tumblr @wintereid for more updates and to see the cover art for this fic! x

Erik Selvig gambols around Jane and Darcy's modestly sized kitchen wearing nothing but a cotton t-shirt and a pair of black and white Calvin Kleins. He bares his pasty legs without a trace of shame, muttering nonsense under his breath as he gathers together a medley of ingredients needed for an authentic Danish brew. 

Brock takes hesitant bites of his crepe between glances at the slightly deranged man. He wraps his arm around Darcy's waist and pulls her chair flush against his. "Is he okay?" He whispers into her ear dubiously. 

Darcy nods. "Yeah, he's fine. This is normal." She says lowly. 

Jane nods solemnly. "Very normal. Since New York, anyway." 

Darcy picks up her fork. "Where are his pants?" 

"They're in the machine," Jane divulges. "Apparently, they smelt like an aeroplane. Whatever that means. He took them off on the doorstep. I couldn't convince him to put them back on." 

"Of course," Darcy sighs. "No surprise there." She looks at Brock. "Did you ever see the news story about the naked scientist being arrested for streaking nude across Stonehenge?"

Brock nods slowly. 

Darcy points at Erik with her manicured index finger. This week, her nails are hotrod red. "That's him." 

Brock looks between Darcy and the half-dressed man, blinking rapidly. "Oh." 

"Yeah." Jane sighs. "Loki really messed him up. Poor guy." 

"He was institutionalised for a while," Darcy tells him. "Ian and I had to break him out when the whole, you know, Dark Elves attacking London thing happened." 

"Right," Brock says. 

"He's getting better," Jane informs, defensively. "He just- struggles with certain things." 

"Like wearing pants," Brock notes. 

"Exactly," Jane says. 

Brock pulls Darcy a little closer as he takes a bite from his crepe. 

"Anyone want tea?" Erik asks, needlessly loud. 

Darcy winces. Brock sits up a little straighter.

"No," Jane says, on behalf of them all. "Come and sit down. You need to meet Brock." 

Erik shouts in amusement. "Ha! Who in their right mind would name their child Brock?" 

"Erik." Darcy lectures. "Please don't be rude. Just come and sit down. You haven't eaten yet." 

Without kicking up a fuss, Erik complies. Once seated, he studies Brock through narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

"He's Brock," Darcy tells him.

"I'm Brock," Brock affirms.

"He's Brock?" Erik asks Jane. 

"Yeah." Jane nods. "He's Brock." 

"Ah." Eric looks back Brock. "So, you're the one who got my Darcy-girl pregnant." He says bluntly.

Darcy splutters, choking on her sip of orange juice. 

Brock nods once, stern-faced. "Yes, sir." 

"Well," Erik studies him. "At least you're handsome. Her last boyfriend looked like a weasel. Sounded like one too." 

"Oh my god." Darcy wheezes. "Oh my god."

Exasperated, Jane closes her eyes and massages her temples. 

Brock smirks, puffing out his chest. "Did he?" 

"Sure, sure." Erik waves his hand around wildly, apparently unaware of the mug of tea he's holding. The liquid splashes onto the floor. "Do you have a job, young man?" 

"Yes, sir. I work for Shield. I'm a Strike Commander." Brock says.

"Ha!" Erik yells angrily. "Shield!" 

Brock narrows his eyes. 

Darcy pats his thigh. "Don't worry. It's not personal. He just really doesn't like Shield." 

Jane nods. "Yeah. They won't let him work in their labs unless he wears pants. He hates that." 

Brock frowns. "Oh. Right." 

"Yeah," Darcy says. "And they didn't give him severance pay after New York. He was angry about that too." 

"Jack-booted-thugs, the lot of them." Erik declares. "And now you're having a baby with one. You're having a jack-booted baby. Ha!" 

"Erik," Jane warns. 

"I am not having a jack-booted baby!" Darcy argues. She looks at Brock. "No offence." 

"None taken, sweetheart," Brock says. 

"Sweetheart!" Erik echoes loudly with mirth. "This just keeps getting better and better." He looks at Brock. "Have you met her father yet?" 

Brock goes stiff. "I thought _you_ were her father." 

Darcy's eyes grow wide. 

"I'm not." Erik chortles. 

Darcy looks at Brock. "Erik's not my dad. He's, uh, Jane's dad's ex-colleague. It's complicated." 

"Right." Brock sighs, rubbing his eyes tiredly. 

"My dad's not Danish. He's Italian." Darcy says. "I told you that."

"Right," Brock repeats, looking slightly frazzled. 

"I'm having dinner with him on Tuesday," Darcy tells Erik. "Brock hasn't met him yet." 

"Ah," Erik says deliberately, with a contentious wink. 

"I don't even know his name," Brock reveals. 

"Antonio," Erik replies. 

Darcy clears her throat, sounding slightly strangled. "Um, I don't know your ma's name." She says to Brock, effectively cutting Erik off.

"Giana," Brock tells her. 

"Italian! Yes?" Erik checks. 

Brock nods. "Yes." 

"Good. Her father will be pleased." Erik nods his approval. Then he loudly slurps from the liquid that's somehow left in his cup. 

"My grandfather will be rolling in his grave," Darcy says with a slight smile. 

"Good riddance," Erik says. Jane nods and waves her fork around in agreement. "Her grandfather was a cruel man," Erik tells Brock. "Lucky he died before our Darcy was born, really. Darcy grew up speaking Italian. He would've shunned that." 

"Italian was your first language?" Brock asks, slightly impressed. 

"Eh. Technically." Darcy shrugs. "My first word was _pane_." 

Brock smirks. "Your first word was bread?" 

"I've always been a sucker for breadsticks," Darcy grins, cheeks glowing slightly. 

"Cute," Brock mutters, making her cheeks glow even brighter. He squeezes her hip. "Your grandpa not like the language of something?" He asks. 

"Or something." Darcy sighs. "He was American, a propagated patriot and my nonna was as Italian as they come. Lots of dark hair and enough recipe books to fill five suitcases. He loved her, but hated where she came from." Darcy frowns. Brock runs his thumb up and down her hip tenderly. "She died before I was born, but she was the main character in most of my bedtime stories." She manages a soft smile. "She was a good person. Beautiful. Patient." 

"She'd have to be with your father as a son!" Erik booms, effectively breaking the tender moment. 

Jane snorts. "Amen." 

Darcy laughs. 

Brock clears his plate and puts down his cutlery. 

"I'm going to spend the day researching prenatal studies," Jane announces, pushing away her plate. 

"Cool," Darcy grins around a mouthful of cold crepe. "Thanks, Janey. You're the best." 

"Well, it's my job as future godmother to make sure you're taken care of, and effectively educated," Jane says primly. 

Darcy beams.

Brock clears his throat awkwardly, pulling the attention back to him. "Actually, isn't that supposed to be my job? I am the father." 

"The father." Darcy imitates. "Okay, Darth Vader." 

Brock rolls his eyes and pinches her hip, making her yelp and squirm away. 

Unamused, Jane scowls. "Are you the one who's about to spend the next twelve hours studying various medical journals? Hm? Are you the one who's going to be attempting to invent a cure for morning sickness?" 

Brock blanches. "No." 

"Then don't test me." She warns. "I'm your future child's godmother. Get over it."

Brock looks at Darcy. "You decided on godparents already?" 

Darcy blinks. "Um, well, not officially." She says. "But Jane's my bestie and I kind of really want her to be the godmother." 

Brock smiles at her assuringly. "That's fine with me, baby." He says. "You choose a godfather yet?" 

Darcy shakes her head slowly. "No." 

"Okay." He says and then kisses the side of her head, just above her ear. 

"Erik, do you have any plans for the day?" Jane asks as she starts collecting the used dishes. 

"Nothing beyond spending some time with my girls." He says. 

Jane purses her lips. "Well, if Darcy doesn't mind, I'd appreciate your help in the lab." 

Erik looks at Darcy. 

"Of course I don't mind," Darcy says. "I'm just glad you came to visit. I missed you." 

"Oh, Darcy-girl. I missed you too." Erik says. He reaches over to pat her hand before turning his attention back to Jane. "Yes, Janey, I'll join you in the lab. I might have some useful insight." 

"You'll have to wear pants." She warns, stacking the plates on her left hand. 

" _Fandeme_." He curses in Danish. 

Jane pats his shoulder with a sympathetic smile. 

"How long are you staying?" Darcy asks. 

"I have to head home tomorrow. I have a lecture to lead on Tuesday." Erik says. 

Darcy looks at him sadly. "Oh. You really have to leave so soon?" 

He might be a bit of a pest, but he's Darcy's Uncle as much as Rhodey is. 

"I'm afraid so, Darcy-girl." He says. 

"Oh." Darcy pouts. 

"I'll visit again soon." He assures, around a mouthful of crepe. "I swear on Thor." 

Darcy smiles. 

Brock leans back in his chair. "Jane, do you need Darcy for anything today?" 

Jane looks at him sceptically before shaking her head. "No. Why?" 

"I'm taking her out." He says. 

Darcy blinks in surprise. "You are?" 

"Yeah, baby." He nods. "We can go somewhere nice and take a walk. Stop for lunch somewhere fancy. Whatever you want." He says. 

Darcy smiles. "That sounds nice."

"Yeah?" Brock checks. Darcy nods. "You want to take a shower before we go?" 

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Darcy says. She's still wearing her pukey pyjamas.

He unwraps his arm from around her waist. "You should wear that cute yellow sundress. The one with the cherry print. It's warm out today." 

Darcy blinks. "You- When did you see my cherry dress?" She knows for sure that she's never worn it to any of their, um, meetings. 

"You wore it to work a few weeks ago." He says. She goes quiet. He raises his eyebrows. "You okay, baby?" 

She stares at him. "You pay attention to what I wear at work?" She whispers. 

He frowns and pushes a piece of hair out of her eyes. "Yeah. Of course, I do. You're my sunshine, remember? I'm always on the lookout for you." 

"Oh." She feels her cheeks redden. "That's nice." 

Brock grins. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." She says. 

Jane clears her throat, jolting Darcy and Brock out of their bubble. 

Darcy stands up abruptly, cheeks flushed. She avoids Jane's knowing stare and Erik's hyper-amused grin. "Um, I'll go and get ready. Give me thirty minutes." 

As she's leaving, she hears Brock stand up and say, "I'll wash the dishes, Jane."

She smiles. 

\---

Brock takes her to Bryant Park.

Walking through the trees with their hands entwined, Darcy breathes easy. 

"This is so nice." She says, eyes wide as she takes in the beauty of her surroundings. "I really should get out more. I spend so much time indoors." 

"Fresh air is good. Healthy." Brock remarks, squeezing her hand. "You should get more of it."

"I know. I do my best, but it's just hard to find the time." Darcy says. "Jane keeps me busy. And when I'm not with her, I'm either doing paperwork for Coulson or convening with Asgard. It's a lot." 

"Sounds stressful," Brock says. He guides them toward another path, one that's not so occupied by people riding bicycles. "I never knew you had so much responsibility." 

"Yeah. Most people assume that I'm just Jane's ditsy assistant or something." Darcy shrugs. Brock frowns. She bumps her hip against his. "Don't brood. It's fine. I mean, it did bother me for a while, but I got over it." 

"I never thought you were a "ditsy assistant"." He scowls. "I knew you were something special from the moment I laid eyes on you." He says, letting go of her hand to wrap his arm around her waist, hugging her close. "You remember the day we met, right?"

Darcy sniffs. "Yeah. I remember." 

Brock smirks. "You hated me for months afterwards." 

"I never hated you." Darcy protests. "I just- didn't particularly like you." 

"Sure." Brock draws out sarcastically. "That's why you printed out those fake medical papers and told the entire Strike team that I'd tested positive for herpes." 

"Oh, come on. You totally deserved that." 

Brock raises his eyebrows, still smirking. "Oh yeah?" 

"Yes!" Darcy insists. "You asked me if my tits were real. In front of a lab full of interns, may I add? You completely humiliated me." 

"In my defence, I did tell you that your hair was pretty first." 

Darcy rolls her eyes. "Oh, sure. Well then, all is forgiven." She says sarcastically. "You know what? Maybe I did hate you. You were such an asshole." 

Brock chuckles. "I was, huh?" 

"Such an asshole," Darcy affirms with a small grin. 

He smirks and tugs her closer, leaning in and lowering his voice. "You gotta admit, the hate sex was incredible." 

Darcy hums her agreement. "The closet." 

"Fury's office."

"The locker rooms," Darcy says. 

"Jane's lab," Brock adds.

"Oh, yeah." Darcy exhales slowly, the memory of the day cushioning all of her thoughts. "We can never let her find out about that." 

"Never." Brock agrees. "Did she ever ask about the broken spectrometer?" 

Darcy bounces her head. "She did. I blamed it on one of the interns." 

"Did the kid get fired?"

"Yeah. He was an asshole, though. Spent more time trying to convince me to go on a date with him than doing actual work." Darcy says. "Jane hated him."

"Good riddance, then." Brock states. "You get any more trouble like that, you call me, okay? You're my girl now." He says firmly. "In fact, you should always call me. About everything. If someone says something stupid, you call me. If someone looks at you the wrong way-"

"Brock." Darcy interrupts his spiel with a soft laugh. “I can look after myself." 

"That's the thing. You don't have to anymore, baby." Brock pulls them to a halt under a tree just a few feet off of the path. "You're the mother of my children. It's my job to keep you safe." 

Darcy squints. "You keep saying that." 

"Keep saying what?" Brock asks. 

"That I'm the mother of your children. Children; plural." Darcy says. 

Brock rests both of his hands on her hips and stares down at her. "You got a problem with me wanting to have babies with you? Because I hate to be the one to tell ya, but it's a bit late for that, sweetheart." 

He presses his lips against hers and she melts. In that kiss was the sweetness of passion, a million loving thoughts condensed into a moment.

Against his lips, Darcy quietly asks, "you really want me to be the mother of your children?" 

Brock rests his forehead against hers, opening his eyes to stare into hers. "I do." 

Butterflies in her stomach, Darcy's cheeks flush. "Awesome." 

Brock kisses her nose. 

"You want lunch, baby?" 

"I want lemon parfait."

"Then let's go and find my girl some lemon parfait." 

Darcy grins. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dinner with Tony in the next chapter.. any predictions on how that'll go? 
> 
> Feedback encourages the author!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Six, AKA we introduce Tony & Pepper and get started with our long-awaited dinner! Working on churning these updates out a little faster but please bear with me. Enjoy x

Darcy hunches over her desk, working through the backlog of paperwork that'd accumulated on her desk over the span of her and Jane's impromptu weekend off.

Phil had scolded them as soon as they walked through the doors, not for taking time off but for doing it without informing anyone prior. It was a fair criticism, and Darcy promised that they'd do her best to give him notice in the future. As far as bosses go, he's proving to be a good one.

"What time are you going over to the tower tonight?" Jane asks, rolling out from under one of the machines she's been tweaking with since it was delivered a few days ago. It was good, she'd said, but not good enough. She has high standards where her equipment is concerned.

Darcy looks up from the dull contract, pulling the tip of her pencil out of her mouth. "Six? I'm not sure, but he'll only complain if I get there any later than that. You know how he gets."

"Are you spending the night?" Jane asks as she picks up a smaller screwdriver than the one she'd previously been using.

Darcy sighs. "Probably."

Jane frowns at her weary tone. "You okay?"

"He's going to freak out."

"Yeah?"

"Big-time," Darcy nods, letting her head fall into her hands. "Ugh. He's going to lock me in the tower and never let me leave. Janey, I'll be a real-life Rapunzel." 

Jane snickers. "Ha. Father Gothel."

"It's not funny." Darcy whines. "I'm being deadly serious."

"I know." Jane snorts. "That's exactly why it _is_ funny."

Darcy scowls at her. "You might never see me again after tonight. How would that make you feel, huh? I bet you'd feel bad for joking about it then."

"You're being dramatic," Jane states, fiddling with the part in her hand.

Darcy tosses her pencil across the room, aiming to hit the slight astrophysicist. "It's justified!"

"Sure." Jane easily dodges the pencil. "Darce, Tony loves you. He'll come around."

Darcy shakes her head. "You weren't there to witness the aftermath of the false positive in London. He was more of a mess than me. And I was a _mess_."

"Right," Jane makes a face. "Will Pepper be there tonight? She's always been pretty good at calming Tony down."

"Yeah, I think so. I hope so." She says and then lays her head down on her desk with a weak sigh.

"Yeah." Jane agrees lightly. "You okay?" She asks.

"Yeah," Darcy whispers. "This is just all happening very fast."

"Are you scared?"

"Terrified," Darcy admits, tears filling her eyes. She sniffles.

"Oh no." Jane sighs, looking between Darcy and her equipment. "Do you- do you want a hug?"

"No, I'm okay," Darcy says, but the tears flowing freely down her cheeks say otherwise. "You should get back to work. So should I. I have so many signatures to sign."

Jane watches her for a moment. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Darcy pulls herself together, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. "Yeah. I'm completely okay. So okay. Better than ever."

Jane quirks her eyebrows. "Are all Stark's such bad liars?"

Darcy laughs wetly. "Yep. It's a generational thing."

Jane purses her lips. "Shall we talk about something else?"

"Please." Darcy breathes, picking up her pen and resuming her reading.

Jane returns to her tinkering. "Things between you and Brock seem good."

"Yeah," Darcy says. "I think they are."

"You think?" Jane asks.

"Yeah. It's- well, I don't know. It's weird. No, not weird." She corrects herself. "It's different."

"Good different?"

"Yeah," Darcy admits. "I really enjoyed actually spending time with him yesterday. He's fun. And drop-dead gorgeous."

"True that." Jane nods. "Do you think he's serious about you being "his girl"?"

Darcy sighs and shrugs, signing her signature in swirly letters at the bottom of the proposal. "I hope so, but I don't know. Did you know he was engaged to Sharon Carter for five years?"

Jane gapes. "Really?"

"Mhm," Darcy nods. "It's strange. We've been sleeping together for almost a year and I had no idea." She takes one look at the next pile of papers and throws them in the paper bin. Hammer Industries would not be getting their hands on her Janey's work, no way. "He says he's not in love with her anymore but.. five years is a long time."

"Yeah." Jane agrees carefully.

Darcy takes a deep breath. "I'm just worried that the only reason he wants to date me is because he feels obligated."

"He told you that he wants you to be the mother of his children." Jane points out. "That's heavy stuff, Darce."

"Yeah." Darcy rubs her eyes. "Ugh, I really need to focus on this grant proposal, Janey. Recoup in twenty?"

"Sounds good," Jane says. "I'm ordering us protein smoothies for lunch."

Darcy blanches. "Why?"

"Because they're healthy," Jane says simply. "Now get back to work before I fire you."

A smile tugs at Darcy's lips. "Yes, ma'am."

\----

At six pm on the dot, Darcy steps into the private elevator and presses her hand onto the biometric scanner. "Hey, Jay. You had a good day?"

The scanner glows green and the elevator doors shut.

"Good evening, Little Stark." The AI greets as soon as the doors are secured and the elevator has started moving. "I've had a satisfactory day. No bugs were detected in my codes." If an AI could preen, he would be.

"That's good." Darcy tries for a smile toward the camera in the top corner, but it becomes more of a grimace. Her stomach turns and her hands become clammy with nerves the higher the elevator travels. "Is Tony in a good mood?"

"Sir is in a pleasant mood," Jarvis reports. "Are you quite alright, Darcy? Your heart rate is elevated."

"Yeah, I'm just a little nervous." She says. "Is Pepper here?"

"Miss Potts entered the penthouse three hours ago, Miss." Jarvis confirms. "I've taken the liberty of informing Sir of your impending arrival."

"Thanks, Jay." She says, leaning back against the mirror and staring at the buttons on the opposite wall. "ETA?"

"A few moments, Darcy," Jarvis states. "Sir has asked me to inform you that he and Miss Potts are awaiting your arrival in the kitchen."

Darcy nods and takes a deep breath.

Once in the penthouse, Darcy toes off her shoes and puts them away in the case before strolling through the open-plan space and into the kitchen. The sight that greets her is her dad standing over the stove and Pepper sat at the round oak table, a business magazine laid open in front of her.

Nostalgia creeps into the pit of her stomach. This is how dinners looked when she was a teenager, only she'd be sat next to Pepper, critiquing one of her dad's blueprints, and he would be throwing pieces of orzo at her in retaliation.

They both look over at her when she clears her throat, her smile disguising her nerves. "Hey, guys."

"Darcy!" Pepper beams, jumping up and sweeping her into a hug. "Oh, it's so good to see you! I've missed you so much." 

Darcy sinks into her almost step-mother's arms and breathes easily for the first time all day. "Hey, Pep."

Pepper pulls back to examine her. "You look beautiful! Is that Alexander McQueen?" She inquires, gliding her fingers over the sleeve of Darcy's sweater.

Darcy nods, glancing down at her cashmere knit sweater. "Mhm. It's pretty, right?"

"Gorgeous." Pepper agrees.

"Balmain?" Darcy asks, referring to Pepper's dress.

She nods. "Part of their new Summer collection."

"It's lovely." Darcy compliments.

"Thank you, darling," Pepper says. "Tony, come and say hello to your daughter."

"I was waiting for you to stop hogging her," Tony grumbles, abandoning the stove and wrapping Darcy up in a tight hug. It's so different to the one Pepper had just given her. It's the type of hug only a dad can give. He smells like motor oil and day-old aftershave and home. "Buonasera, Darlene. You and Foster like your water bottles?"

"Buonasera, old man," Darcy says with a short expel of breath, worries momentarily forgotten. She plants a customary kiss on his stubbly cheek. "We love them. Thank you." 

"Well, I hope your pee issues-," he shivers in revulsion. "Have improved." 

Darcy snickers. "They have. Thank you, Papi." She kisses his cheek again before handing the chocolates to Pepper. "Here." 

"You brought me European chocolate?" Tony frowns at the rectangular box that Pepper excepts happily. "Why would you do that? Are you mad at me?"

"No. I brought _Pepper_ European chocolate," Darcy says pointedly. "Besides, isn't _Cioccolato di Modica_ your favourite chocolate? Hm? That's European _._ "

Tony rolls his eyes and waves his hand dismissively. "That's like comparing apples and oranges. It's blasphemy for Italian chocolate and Scandinavian chocolate to even be mentioned in the same sentence _. Il rifituto,_ " He sniffs. 

Darcy laughs. "You're ridiculous." She knocks their shoulders together. "Shouldn't you be making sure that my ossobuco isn't burning, old man?"

Tony noogies her before retreating back to the stove.

Darcy smoothes down her curls, glares at him half-heartedly, and then sits down next to Pepper.

Her step-mother inspects the chocolates with a warm smile. "These are my _favourite_. Ignore your father." She kisses Darcy's cheek. "Thank you, darling."

"You're welcome," Darcy smiles. "How was Fashion Week?"

"Oh, I can't believe I haven't told you about it yet!" She gasps, eyes lighting up. "Darcy, it was incredible. I couldn't believe it." She says.

"I saw all of your insta posts. I'm so jelly." She says.

"We'll go together next year. Make a trip out of it. How does that sound?" Pepper suggests, looking excited at the prospect. "We'll take your fathers Amex and have the time of our lives."

"I object," Tony exclaims. "Darlene has her own Amex. Why would she need to use mine?"

"Because spending someone else's money is always so much more fun," Pepper says with a playful grin. 

"Amen," Darcy smirks.

Tony sighs and mutters in Italian under his breath, shaking his head as he went back to stirring the pot.

Amused, Pepper stands up to put the box of chocolates away in the kitchen cabinet that houses the sugary treats. There used to be a child lock on it when Darcy was a kid, put there by a nanny who was big on healthy eating, but it's long since been removed. "When were you in Denmark, darling? I don't remember your father mentioning it."

Tony looks over his shoulder, looking sharply at his daughter. " _Porca miseria_ , Darlene. You better not have left the country without telling me."

"I didn't! I didn't." Darcy mollifies. "Erik came to visit over the weekend with a suitcase full of tourist memorabilia for me and Jane. I spotted these and thought of Pepper. That's all. No unapproved trips to Europe for me." 

"Hm." Tony stares at his daughter through narrowed eyes. Only when he's convinced that she's not lying to him does he turn his attention back to the stove. 

Pepper carries a basket of breadsticks and a bottle of wine over to the table. "French breadsticks just for you. From Paris." She winks.

"How did you keep them fresh?" Darcy blinks in astonishment. Her soon-to-be step-mom might just be her favourite person in the universe right now. She picks one out of the basket nibbles on the end. "Oh em gee. Pepper, I love you so much."

Pepper chuckles and kisses her cheek. "Are you drinking tonight, darling? I'll have to get you a glass."

Darcy glances at the bottle of wine. "I shouldn't. Um, Jane's working tonight, so she might need me to drive back to the lab at some point." It's an excuse. A terrible excuse considering Darcy is usually a sucker for a glass of quality red wine and Jane's never called her away from family time before, in fact, she makes a conscious effort not too, but Pepper excepts it with nothing more than a curious hum and simply fills the two stemmed glass that'd already been set on the table. 

Tony serves the food and Pepper divvies out the breadsticks before Darcy gets the chance to hoard them all for herself.

"How is Foster? She taking the transition to Shield jurisdiction well?" Tony asks around a mouthful of bread, earning a scowl from Pepper and a displeased nose-scrunch from Darcy. "What? This is how _real_ men enjoy their food. _Andarsene_." 

Pepper leans over and whacks him with the back of her hand. 

Darcy smirks. 

"Jane's okay," Darcy says. With her spoon, she starts dividing the vegetables and the meat. "She still gets miffed sometimes about not being able to do anything without approval from Phil, but she is getting used to it. Slowly." 

Pepper beams. "How is Phil? It's been a while since we've had lunch." 

"His name is Agent." Tony grunts, but goes ignored. 

"He's doing really well! He only has to have PT twice a month now and as far as I know, he's still dating Audrey." Darcy says. After a second, she clicks her fingers in thought. "Oh! I just remembered. He actually gave me some papers for you. Just some revisions with the contract between SI and Shield. I have them in my bag." 

"Give them to me after dinner, darling. I'll take care of them and have them ready to take with you when you leave tomorrow morning." Pepper says before taking a sip of wine. "You are staying tonight?" She checks. 

"Of course she is," Tony interjects. "We're watching a movie after dinner and it'll be too late for her to drive home afterwards." 

Darcy sniffs. "I'm twenty-five years old." 

Tony rolls his eyes. "Tohmato, tomato. You're staying. End of discussion." 

"Tony, stop it." Pepper chides, shaking her head at him before turning to look at Darcy with a soft smile. "What your father is trying to say, darling, is that we'd love for you to stay the night. We miss having you here." 

Tony mutters. "Sure. What she said. So, you'll stay?" 

"Yeah. I'll stay." Darcy says with a lopsided smile. 

Knowing that she's still missed, after half a decade away from home, is nice. 

"How was your week?" Pepper asks. "Has Jane been keeping you busy?" 

Darcy nods. "Oh yeah. I'm also working pro-bono for Phil, but I'm pretty sure he's raised my wage without telling me since I started helping him out, so maybe it's _not_ pro-bono." She chuckles. "And I've been writing up a treaty deal between us and Asgard. I know we technically already have one, but Phil's starting to get nervous because it's not on paper." 

Tony frowns. "Darlene, are you sure you're not stretching yourself too thin? You look tired. And pasty. Pep, doesn't she look pale?" 

"Dad-" 

"You do look a little tired, darling." Pepper touches her arm, worry shining in her eyes. "Have you been getting enough sleep?" 

"Yes, I-" Darcy puts down her spoon and closes her eyes. Oh my god, this is actually happening. Okay. Alright. She takes a deep breath. "Um, I-" 

"What's wrong?" Tony drops his spoon with a clatter. "Has Jane done something? Hm? Or is it Shield? Do you hate working for them? I knew you'd hate working for them. Darlene, I tried to warn you. _Andare a puttane_." He says vehemently. 

"No, it's not that," Darcy says, shaking her head. "Look, I-" She cuts herself off with a shaky breath. 

Pepper puts down her spoon slowly. "Darcy.." 

"I'm pregnant." Darcy squeaks. 

Silence envelops the kitchen. 

Pepper's jaw drops and she brings a delicate hand up to cover her open mouth. 

Tony blinks. "No, you're not." 

Darcy winces, looking down at her bowl. "Um, I kinda really am." 

She's done it. She's said the words that she's been rehearsing for the past two days and now the silence lays into her skin like a poison. It seeps into her blood and paralyzes her brain. Her pupils dilate and there's a tremor in her hands. 

Her dad's face is emotionless. 

Darcy gulps. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm evil.

**Author's Note:**

> No Brock yet, but ohmygod I hope this chapter was a good opener and sets the tone for the fic <3


End file.
